6/21/2005

Claustrophobic?

If so...skip MRI's. The first ones I did were in the late 80's early 90's, they have come a long way...not all good. Mind you my MRI experience is for my inner ear and brain and I am sure if it were my knee the experience may have been very different.

My first few experiences were slapped onto a table, nude covered with a small sheet, strapped down and literally squeezed into a small tube and once in the shut the door at the bottom of your feet...with a click. Prior to this they ask you if you are claustrophobic, if you answer yes you are required to bring someone with you and you will be knocked or "heavily sedated" for the appt and it can take hours to recover from that. I chose to answer no. Once inside there is a small window above your head to look out...so small a mirror or reflective material was placed at eye/nose level, but you are so close that it is worse opening your eyes and makes even people who are not claustrophobic think they are. Hence close eyes and get through it. There was a lovely LOUD hum with intermittent ticks that progressed throughout the whole thing. Pleasant experience all around.

Well they improved it...somewhat. Today's version is still a very snug tube and lucky me they added some type of heavy metal cage thing that goes over your face. Nifty maybe a hockey game when I am done. Some good news was that I did not have to be completely nude anymore...just no metal.

They added a very heavy heated blanket on top of me this time. I was like "I don't really need this" as I started to immediately sweat. The nice tech, chuckled and let me know that I will want it once I am fully in. No more mirrors (who cares anyway) and another snifty thing was no more door at the bottom of the tube however it is much longer now so you still cannot see out, hence just close your eyes. Once inside it is FRIGID, you have oxygen blown in full time on you and hence the blanket was needed.

One other great point, they asked this time if I could hold still of course I said yes, hence they didn't strap me down. Bad news, it is a hell of lot louder, so much so they now require you to wear earplugs. On the plus side it's about 10 minutes shorter. Those 37 minutes still seems like forever.

I luckily am not to claustrophobic, however that initial table slowly moving into the tube and that first few clicks and very loud hums one must continue to tell themselves it will be okay is kinda a weird moment one in which you say to yourself "stop it...no freaking out here" cause is so would not help. I would hate to be a tech doing these.

Overall another experience that can happily be missed by most. One I hope that does not need repeating soon. Sadly I asked about my results I got the we can tell you anything, but I was informed they may ask me for more later on, great.